Many modern firearms include or accommodate standardized mounting platforms to receive a wide range of firearm accessories, such as scopes, sights, flashlights, sling mounts, and hand grips. Picatinny rails and Weaver rails, collectively referred to as “tactical rails,” are common examples.
In a sport commonly referred to as Airsoft, participants engage in mock battles using replica firearms (Airsoft guns) that closely emulate real firearms but launch relatively harmless polymer spheres. Owners of replica firearms enjoy accessorizing their equipment, which has spawned a considerable market for many of the same types of accessories available for real firearms. Not surprisingly, replica accessories often follow the same standards as their real counterparts, both for a look of realism and for the benefits of standardization.
Many replica firearms, particularly those that emulate older weapons, do not support or include tactical rails. Owners of such replicas therefore have limited accessory options. There is therefore a demand for methods and devices for adapting standard tactical rails to replica firearms.